WBCSD Sustain Newsletter (2024)

Vision 2050: Time to Transform

The World Business Council puts capitalism on notice

"We need to change the rules of business altogether, and get everybody on board." Said Peter Bakker in this interview with Fortune’s Nicole Goodkind. Systems-thinking will be at the heart of progress towards Vision 2050 - this includes acknowledging companies’ dependence on the stability and success of other industries and institutions, communities and ecosystems.

WBCSD launches new Pathfinder to enable Scope 3 emissions transparency and accelerate decarbonization

WBCSD launched the Value Chain Carbon Transparency Pathfinder—a new initiative dedicated to enabling widescale exchange of primary, carbon emissions data. To reach net zero emissions before 2050, we need all business to measure, account for and disclose carbon emissions as a first step to reducing them. We cannot solve what we cannot measure. As businesses globally face rising pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, understanding and tracking end-to-end emissions and taking action to decarbonize is becoming the license to operate.

Circular Electronics Partnership (CEP): The first private sector alliance for circular electronics

As one of the founding partners and Secretariat host, WBCSD hosted the launch of the Circular Electronics Partnership (CEP) on 18 March. CEP is the first private sector alliance for circular electronics and a transformative industry initiative. This launch marks the first time experts, business leaders and global organizations will set a vision and roadmap committing to a circular economy for electronics by 2030 and co-design solutions around this topic.

A new standard for electric utilities to maximize progress towards the SDGs

Over the past 18 months, WBCSD has convened 11 of the world’s leading electric utility companies to explore, articulate and set a course to realizing the unique potential of this sector to leverage its influence and innovation to contribute to the SDG agenda. This Roadmap provides utility business leaders worldwide with a flagship guide to driving transformative change. It explores the sector’s interaction with the SDGs, identifies priority goals, and outlines key impact opportunity areas where the sector is well placed to drive transformation in line with the objectives of the SDGs.

Sustainable mobility: Policy making for data sharing

Sharing data between mobility stakeholders can accelerate the shift to sustainability, but we need policies that minimize risks around privacy, cybersecurity, competition and liability. Together with the International Road Federation (IRF) and Sum4All, we have launched a new policy framework that helps policymakers globally to enable data sharing in the mobility sector. The report outlines 33 policy suggestions that can be tailored and adapted by policymakers to suit their local mobility system.

Data-driven transformation toward resilient and sustainable urban mobility

Digitalization is reshaping urban mobility and holds great potential for creating economic, social and environmental value. This brings into question how we share increasing amounts of data between public and private stakeholders. Read the new insight by Mobility Director Thomas Deloison on why we need digitalization and data at the center of a common vision for sustainable mobility and how to overcome barriers to data sharing.

WBCSD partners with NBI to advance net zero buildings

WBCSD and New Buildings Institute (NBI) have signed a new MoU formalizing the organizations’ relationship. The agreement signed last month defines how the two organizations will collaborate to advance and promote energy efficiency, enhance resilience and achieve carbon reductions in buildings. This is critically important as buildings account for nearly 40% of carbon emissions globally.

World Water Day 2021: Valuing Water

This World Water Day’s theme was about valuing water, about what water means to people, its true value and how we can better protect this vital resource. Most societies undervalue and under-price water. The true cost of water does not reflect its true value, which leads to overexploitation of the resource. The appropriate valuation of water drives demand-side management and improves resource use efficiency. Valuing water means recognizing and considering all the benefits provided by water – including economic, social and ecological dimensions.

WBCSD and Sustainable Rice Platform to advance sustainable rice solutions through innovative finance and value chain linkages

WBCSD announced on its membership of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP). WBCSD will work with SRP to advance sustainable rice, exploring priority areas including public private financing and consumer demand for sustainable rice.

In memoriam: Erling Lorentzen, sustainability pioneer and visionary

Erling Sven Lorentzen, founder of Aracruz Celulose, the former Brazilian pulp and paper company, passed away a few weeks ago, aged 98. He will long be remembered as a pioneer and visionary of the pulp and paper industry, and holds a special place in the heart and history of WBCSD.